5-day Tanzania safari: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara

Lions rest in acacia trees while 3 million animals move across the Serengeti's grass plains.

This 5-day safari tour from Arusha covers the Northern Circuit, visiting Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. You travel by open-roof vehicle with a guide, stay overnight at lodges between parks, and watch wildlife in four distinct landscapes, from volcanic crater to migrating herds to tree-climbing lions. Pickup from Arusha airport is included, as are park entry, meals and accommodation. Guides speak English, Spanish, Italian, French and one additional language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Arusha

• Pick up from airport
• Drive to accommodation in Arusha
• Overnight stay at Gran Melia

Day 2: Arusha to Tarangire National Park

• Breakfast at accommodation
• Drive to Tarangire National Park
• Game drive and wildlife viewing
• Picnic lunch in the park
• Drive to accommodation
• Dinner and overnight at Kitela Lodge

Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater to Serengeti National Park

• Early breakfast
• Visit Ngorongoro Crater wildlife viewing
• Lunch
• Drive to Serengeti National Park
• Overnight at Nyota Luxury Camp

Day 4: Serengeti to Karatu

• Early breakfast
• Morning game drive in Serengeti
• Drive to Karatu
• Dinner and overnight at Kitela Lodge

Day 5: Lake Manyara National Park to Arusha

• Breakfast
• Drive to Lake Manyara National Park
• Explore Lake Manyara National Park
• Lunch
• Drive back to Arusha

The experience

The safari starts with airport pickup and a night in Arusha, then heads straight into Tarangire National Park: a two-hour drive from town. Tarangire is elephant country. The river draws families of them along with giraffe, zebra, buffalo and predators that follow. You spend a full day in the park from an open-roof vehicle, watching animals at the water and under the baobab trees, and break for a picnic lunch inside the park before returning to your lodge.

Day three moves you to Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest volcanic caldera at nearly 20 kilometers wide and 600 meters deep. The crater floor holds the Big Five, wildebeest, gazelles and over 500 bird species drawn by the springs. After exploring the crater, you drive toward the Serengeti: a shift from the enclosed volcanic landscape to open savannah and grassy plains. Day four is the longest game drive: you leave at 6:30 a.m. and spend six to seven hours in the Serengeti watching migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest, along with impala, buffalo, hippos and predators like leopards, cheetahs and lions. The migration route changes year to year based on rainfall, so what you see depends on the season.

The final day takes you to Lake Manyara National Park, 120 kilometers west of Arusha. The park is smaller and more diverse than the Serengeti: shallow salt lake, woodlands filled with monkeys, baobab-dotted cliffs and open plains all in one reserve. Thousands of flamingos live on the lake, and you may see lions lounging in the trees, a behavior Lake Manyara is known for. After lunch, you drive back to Arusha, ending the tour where it began.

What’s included

• Airport pickup in Arusha.
• accommodation at lodges for four nights.
• all meals including picnic lunches in the parks.
• entry to Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti National Park and Lake Manyara National Park.
• game drives in an open-roof vehicle with a live guide.

Information

Lasts 5d, runs every day at 09:00, from US$ 3,744 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate8 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 45 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 16 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Lion King Adventures

Is this one for you?Choose this five-day itinerary if you want to cover all four Northern Circuit parks (Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, and Tarangire) without adding extra nights for a longer trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

What animals will I see on a 5-day Tanzania safari?

The Northern Circuit holds the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) plus giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippos, crocodiles, impala, gazelles and over 500 bird species including thousands of flamingos at Lake Manyara. What you encounter depends on the season and the animals' migration patterns.

Is the Serengeti migration included in this 5-day tour?

The Serengeti is part of the itinerary, and you spend a full day game driving there. The migration route shifts year to year based on rainfall, so the animals you see (whether migrating herds or resident wildlife) varies by season.

What is the Ngorongoro Crater and how much time do I spend there?

Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest volcanic caldera, nearly 20 kilometers wide and 600 meters deep, with a crater floor that concentrates wildlife around its springs. You explore it on the morning of day three before heading to the Serengeti.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between parks?

No. The tour includes all transport between parks and lodges, plus airport pickup when you arrive in Arusha. You travel in an open-roof vehicle with a guide for all game drives.

What are the accommodation and meal arrangements?

You stay overnight at lodges between parks: Gran Melia in Arusha, Kitela Lodge near Tarangire and Karatu, and Nyota Luxury Camp in the Serengeti area. Meals are included throughout the tour, including picnic lunches in the parks.